Dispensing closure



H. P. ABBOTT DISPENSING CLOSURE Filed Dec.

March 15, 1966 INVENTOR BY WJ M+M H IS AT TORN EYS United States Patent 3,240,405 DISPENSING CLOSURE Horace P. Abbott, Old Greenwich, Conn., assignor to Lever Brothers Company, New York, N.'Y., a corporation of Maine Filed Dec. 20, 1963, Ser'. No. 332,074 1 Claim. (Cl. 222-543) This device relates to improvements in closures for containers, and more particularly, to an improved form of fluid dispensing closure for liquid detergent containers and the like.

The complexities of manufacturing and distributing. consumer products, such as liquid detergents and the like, for a nation-wide market impose conflicting packaging demands. An acceptable liquid detergent bottle or container should have a relatively large neck for rapid production line filling. It is necessary, however, that the dispensing passageway should be of restricted size so that the consumer can pour carefully measured quantities of the detergent without overflow. It is moreover, essential that the closure will not open accidentally during handling and distribution, but it is also essential that the consumer can open the bottle without excessive effort.

In accordance with the present invention a fluid dispensing closure for bottles or other receptacles which can be used with conventional bottle filling and capping machinery and which can be opened by the user with a minimum of difiiculty is provided.

More particularly, a closure for a container or the like is provided with a hinged closure cap having a lifting or opening tab which is disposed Within the outermost dimensions of the cap so that it does not interfere with the operation of the cap applying machinery, yet provides a readily accessible means for lifting the cap to dispense the contents of the container.

For a more complete understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying figures of the drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of a cap according to the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a view in section taken along the line 22 of FIGURE 1, and looking in the direction of the arrows with the cap closed; and

FIGURE 3 is a view in section of the closure with the cap in open position.

A dispensing closure of a type embodying the invention, may be formed of any suitable plastic or the like by conventional means, such as injection molding and includes a collar or sleeve 11 having an outer surface, which may be fluted or otherwise suitably deco-rated. The inner surface 12 of the collar is provided with threads 13 (-FIGURES 2 and 3) to enable the closure tobe threaded onto the threaded neck of a container, such as, a flexible plastic bottle B shown in dotted lines in FIG- URES 2 and 3. The thread radius tapers somewhat so the piece may be more easily removed from its mold. However, the thread radius does not have to be tapered.

One end of the collar 11 is partially closed by an end Wall 14. The inner surface of the wall 14 has a small downwardly depending circular flange 16 disposed between the center of the end wall 14 and the margin of the closure member 11 and is adapted to engage in the neck of the bottle B in liquid-tight relation.

The upper or outer surface of the wall 14 has a circular ridge 18 formed between the center of the wall 14 and the margin of the closure member 11. A laterally extending ridge 19 is formed on the upper edge of the ridge 18.

Patented Mar. 15, 1966 A nozzle 20 having an upwardly converging or generally elliptical outer surface protrudes from the center of the upper or outer surface of the Wall 14 and has a passageway 21 formed in the center thereof having an outwardly converging conical portion 22 terminating in a generally cylindrical portion 23.

A closure cap 24 is connected to the wall 14 by means of a flexible hinge 25 shown in FIGURES 2 and 3 as a thin strip of flexible plastic molded integrally with and connecting marginal portions of the collar 11 and the cap 24. V

The cap 24 is of a generally cylindrical cup-like shape having a radius which is less than the radius of the collar 11 and includes a flat end wall 27 and a cylindrical skirt 28. A ridge 29 near the lower inner edge of the skirt 28 is adapted to snap over and engage the ridge 19 on the flange 18 of the collar 11 to retain the cap closed.

A collar portion 30, depending from the end wall 27 of the cap 24 and concentric therewith has an internal diameter slightly smaller than the maximum diameter of the curved outer surface of the nozzle 20. The collar portion 30 is thus adapted to engage over the outer surface of the nozzle 20 with a snug leak-tight fit to prevent leakage through the passageway 20.

A generally conical plug 31 depends from the wall 27 of the cap member 24 and has a diameter equal to or slightly larger than the diameter of the cylindrical portion 23 of the fluid passageway 21. The plug 31 seats tightly within the passageway 21 of the nozzle member 20 when the cap 24 is closed further preventing leakage.

Extending from the lower edge of the skirt 28 of the cap 24 to the margin of the closure member 11 (FIG- URE 2) is a flange 32 which links the hinge 25 with the cap 24. The flange 32 is adapted to be against the wall 14 of the collar 11 when the cap 24 is snapped in place over the collar 11.

A cap-lifting tab 33 extends from the end wall of the cap 24 at the side opposite from the flange 32 and is disposed within the outermost dimensions of the collar 11. The tab 33 is spaced from the outer surface of the collar 11 to permit a finger to be inserted into the recess to lift the cap member 24 up and unplug the passageway 21 in the nozzle member 20. Inasmuch as the tab 33 does not protrude beyond the margin of the collar 11, it provides a number of advantages. The closure 10, is thus, of substantially uniform transverse dimensions from top to bottom so that it can be supplied to and applied to containers with conventional capping machinery. Moreover, the tab 33 is protected by the collar 11 so that it is not as likely to be engaged accidentally causing the cap to be lifted and the contents of the container spilled. Nevertheless, by placing the tab 33 in the plane of the top wall 27 of the cap 24, space is provided between the tab and the upper end of the collar 11 to insert a fingertip for lifting the cap. If additional space is required the portion of the wall 14 underlying the tab can be chamfered or relieved as at 34.

As is apparent from the foregoing, the present invention provides a convenient dispensing closure for fluids and the like, which is adapted to modern methods of packaging and distribution.

While a representative embodiment of the present invention has been shown and described for purposes of illustration, various changes and modifications may be made therein as pointed out above without departing from the principles of this invention. Therefore, all such changes and modifications are included within the intended scope of the invention as defined by the following claim.

I claim:

A fluid dispensing closure comprising a collar to be attached to a container, a wall at one end of said collar,

a nozzle on said wall having a passageway adapted to permit the flow of fluid therethrough, a cap of crosssectional dimensions less than said collar, means hingedly connecting said cap to said collar for movement between open and closed positions, a plug and a collar portion depending from said cap for engaging Within and around said nozzle member, respectively, to seal said passageway when said cap is closed, an annular ridge on said Wall extending around said nozzle and spaced from said collar and said nozzle, said ridge fitting within and engageable with said cap to retain said cap closed, and a tab extending radially from said cap in spaced relation to said wall when said cap is closed, said tab being disposed with-in the outermost dimension of said collar.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,031,111 4/1962 Stull 222-543 X 3,117,702 1/1964 Henchert 222543 3,124,281 3/1964 Stull 222543 X 10 LOUIS J. DEMBO, Primary Examiner.

RAPHAEL M. LUPO, Examiner. 

